RAMALLAH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Tuesday called on the Palestinians in East Jerusalem not to vote in Israeli municipal elections planned for October.

PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement that the PLO executive committee is strictly opposed to the participation of Palestinians in the occupied city in the elections because it would give legitimacy to the illegal occupation.

"Any participation in the elections will assist the Israeli establishment in promoting the 'Greater Jerusalem' project," the statement said.

Israeli policies aim at "diminishing Palestinian presence in the city while multiplying the number of illegal settlers, turning it into a Jewish city and imposing Israeli law on the city," it added.

More than 350,000 Palestinians reside in East Jerusalem. They have been boycotting the West Jerusalem municipal elections since the occupation of the city in June 1967.

However, calls have been made recently for East Jerusalem residents to vote in the upcoming elections in order to influence the decisions by the city for better lives.?